So, it has been an extremely long time since I last did a reading recommendation list. So, this time around I am recommending two different series. One is a novel, one a manga series.

The Southern Vampire Mysteries, aka the Sookie Stackhouse Books, by Charlaine Harris are the origin of the True Blood HBO series. I am not going to discuss the TV show. I’m just staying focused on my reading angle here. Like all vampire series, I found the early Sookie books a fun little indulgence. They’re great for curling up on the couch and spoiling yourself with a good romantic, sexy, mystery book. The first four books in the series are by far my favorites. I am still following the series, but so far the first four are the tightest as the cast hasn’t expanded too far at this point.

The main character is an incredibly strong, self-reliant woman with a disability that makes it troublesome to interact with normal people. She reads minds whether she wants to or not and that leads to a frustrating life of ALWAYS knowing what something is thinking, even if it’s about her. Imagine dating someone and knowing what they were thinking all the time. Vampires have just come out and are intergrating with society. It just so happens that one moves into Sookie’s town and the quiet of their minds is a fantastic relief. It’s no wonder she quickly finds herself involved with all of the supernatural world. She’s not always waiting for someone to come and rescue her, but instead, will try to take you down herself. She’s also not afraid to dump a guy who treats her poorly. That’s an extremely respectable trait for a fantasy heroine!

The rest of cast is also marvelously fun to read. Pam, for instance, works at a bar where she is required to show up once a week in full on “vampire” clothes for the customers looking for authentic vampires. However, on her days off, this tough ancient vampire much prefers to wear pastel and suits.

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Pretty Guardian Sailormoon has always been one of my favorite manga series and now it is being rereleased with a new translation by Kodansha. Saying these books are gorgeous is an understatement. Kodansha is doing this series right with the full color opening pages and translations that are spot on compared to the releases by TokyoPop. Now that my gushing for the book itself is done, let me talk about the series a bit for people who don’t know what it is.

This is the story of a not so average Japanese middle school student named Usagi Tsukino. Her grades are terrible, she’s lazy, and a bit of a glutton. She meets a little cat with a crescent bald spot on it’s forehead and is shocked to find out not only does the cat talk, but that it is telling her she is a champion of justice. It is her job to beat back the evil that is reawakening on Earth before it can claim the legendary Silver Crystal and destroy everything. A mysterious masked man comes to her aide while also becoming her rival in the quest to find the crystal. Time and again, the two are drawn together by destiny. Little do they realize the truth of their meeting.

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Manga to avoid!!
I don’t normally talk about books I didn’t like, but this series made me so upset, I felt I had to warn others. The series is called Hot Gimmick and it is one of the worst series I have come across. It started out fantastic and really pulled me in with the characters’ stories and pretty artwork. It convinced me to ask for the rest of the series for my birthday. Read them and was disgusted. The main female lead is so subserviant, she continues to be friends with a guy who tried to have a gang of his friends… er, take advantage of her against her will. She dates a guy who keeps belittling her and abuses her physically and emotionally (at one point he drops her on her tailbone just because, he kicked her down the stairs when they were younger, slaps her in the face). It’s scary when the ONLY good suitor for the main female lead is the brother character that by shoujo law can never happen in the end. The female lead NEVER grows as a character. In fact, she just becomes MORE subserviant and accepting of abuse as the series goes on. Let me save you the rage-dump you will have after reading it and just tell you that you’re way better off avoiding it.